Japan, S. Korea agree to 'carefully' assess N. Korea's next moves+

TOKYO, Sept. 29 Kyodo -
Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and his South Korean counterpart Yu
Myung Hwan on Tuesday agreed to ''carefully'' assess whether future moves by
Pyongyang would lead to a resolution of the North Korean nuclear standoff and
affirmed their cooperation over the issue, Okada said.

During a joint press conference after their talks in Tokyo, they also said a
proposed visit by Japanese Emperor Akihito to South Korea has ''not been
discussed in detail'' by the two countries, with Okada saying Japan will
''carefully'' study the matter by considering ''various situations.''
Earlier this month, South Korean President Lee Myung Bak expressed hope that
the emperor will visit South Korea next year to ''put an end to the sense of
distance'' between the two countries as 2010 will mark a century since the
beginning of Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula that ended in 1945.
The bilateral talks between Okada and South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade
Minister Yu were held a day after they met with their Chinese counterpart in
Shanghai for a trilateral foreign ministerial meeting and urged North Korea to
swiftly return to the six-party talks on its denuclearization.
''The conclusion of (our bilateral talks) is that North Korea may make some
kind of moves from now, but we must carefully judge whether they would
contribute to the resolution of the nuclear issue,'' Okada told the joint press
conference.
Meanwhile, Yu said they had agreed that their countries will continue to
implement a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at punishing North Korea
unless Pyongyang shows ''a fundamental change in attitude.''
But he added that the two also agreed to maintain diplomatic efforts to seek
North Korea's return to the six-party talks also involving China, Russia and
the United States.
As part of diplomatic efforts aimed at bringing North Korea back to the
multilateral framework, the United States has expressed readiness to hold
bilateral talks with North Korea, while Lee has proposed a ''grand bargain''
for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear programs in exchange for economic
incentives and security assurances.
In New York on Monday, North Korea told the United Nations that the
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula hinges on decisions made by the United
States, indicating the country's eagerness to solve the issue through the
resumption of direct talks with Washington soon.
Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, whose country chairs the six-party
talks, plans to visit North Korea from Oct. 4 to 6.
Okada told the press conference that Wen's visit could provide an ''important
cue'' in the process and noted that he would like to cooperate with China,
South Korea and the United States in dealing with its outcome.
During the talks, which resumed after the press conference, Okada and Yu may
also have touched on an envisioned visit by Japanese Prime Minister Yukio
Hatoyama to South Korea amid expectations in Seoul that the new Democratic
Party of Japan-led government may be flexible on the issue of granting voting
rights in local elections to Korean and other foreign nationals in Japan.
Hatoyama, who also doubles as DPJ leader, has expressed a positive view on
allowing permanent residents of Korean descent living in Japan to vote in local
elections -- something Lee has been calling for Japan to implement.
On Hatoyama's visit to South Korea, the Japanese government is considering Oct.
9 as a possible date -- the eve of a trilateral summit between the leaders of
Japan, South Korea and China in Beijing.
==Kyodo